Elevator shelves



P 22, 1959. T. E. MEAD 2,905,517

ELEVATOR SHELVES Filed Nov. 5, 1956 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVE N TOR:

M Jdh r W ATTORNEY 1 p 1 59 T. E. MEAD 2,905,517.

ELEVATOR SHELVES flwmg 072%, aw r W ATTORNE S.

ELEVATOR SHELVES Theodore E. Mead, Wilmette, Ill.

Application November 5, 1956, Serial No. 620,400

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-268) This invention relates to elevator shelves, andmore particularly to cabinets or compartments equipped with elevatorshelves which may be moved upwardly or downwardly for the serving ofobjects carried by the shelves.

An object of the present invention is to provide a compact cabinet orstorage compartment equipped with means for the raising and lowering ofobjects while maintaining the shelves in article-supporting position atall points along their travel. A further object is to provide anelevator shelf structure driven by motor means for the serving ofarticles upon shelves to a point of convenient reach and for the removaland insertion of articles onto the shelves. A still further object is toprovide a shelf elevator structure in which there is a minimum of noiseand frictional engagement of parts, while at the same time maintainingthe shelves from swaying during travel in their vertical paths. A stillfurther object is to provide in such a structure means for maintaining ashelf in a generally horizontal position as it travels by a sprocketfrom one vertical path into another vertical path. Yet another object isto provide, in combination with a series of shelves, endless conveyormeans for releasably supporting said shelves and for moving the samethrough vertical spaced-apart paths, whereby shelves can be stored inremote parts of a compartment or cabinet and then quickly brought intoalignment with a discharge or receiving port arranged at a convenientelevation. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as thespecification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a prospective view of acabinet structure equipped with means embodying my invention; Fig. 2, anenlarged vertical sectional view of the cabinet struc- Patented Sept.22, 1959 structure. For the purpose of illustration, the invention willbe described herein more specifically in connection with a kitchencabinet.

Mounted within the cabinet A, and preferably about centrally thereof, isa divider or stabilizer plate 12, as shown best in Fig. 4, so that thereis provided within the cabinet a vertical channel 13 on the front side,and a vertical channel 14 on the rear side, for the travel therein ofthe shelves 15. The vertical channel 13 communicates with the rearvertical channel 14 both at the top and at the bottom of the cabinet, sothat a continuous course of travel is provided for the shelves in theirmovement upwardly through one of the channels and downwardly through theother.

For supporting the shelves within the channels, I provide two endlessconveyor chains 16 and 17. The chains mesh at their lower endsrespectively with sprockets 18 and 19 carried on the driven shaft 20.The shaft 20 v at its other end with an adjustment slot 24, as shownbest in Fig. 4, the slot being adapted to receive a screw 25 for thesecuring of the lever 21 in adjusted position.

By this means, the position of shaft 20 can be vertically adjusted tocompensate for wear of the chain 16 and 17, and for tightening them.

A sprocket 26 is keyed or otherwise secured to the I In the specific 1shaft 20 for the driving of the shaft. illustration given, an endlesschain 27 connects sprocket 26 and the motor-driven sprocket 28 mountedupon the shaft 29. The shaft 29 is driven through reduction gears by themotor 30 mounted on bracket 31 at the top of the cabinet A, as shownbest in Fig. 2. The bracket 31 is adjustably supported upon the casing Aby means of screws 32 which extend through adjustment slots 33 carriedby a depending flange portion of the bracket 31.

* By moving the motor bracket31 in a vertical direction,

ture shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side view in elevation of the shelvesbeing removed from the cabinet; Fig. '6, a

detail sectional view, the section being taken'as indicated at line 6-6of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a perspective view of the conveyor chain structureand drive mechanism, the parts being shown in spaced-apart relation; andFig. 8, an en larged broken detail sectional view of an individual shelfwhich may be employed with the elevator'structure.

In the illustration given, A designates a casing structure which may beof any suitable type or construction. In the illustration given, thecasing A provides a cabinet which is illustrated as a kitchen cabinethaving an open front side provided with. doors 10. As indicated in Fig.1, the cabinet is mounted in the upper portion of a kitchen above alower, cabinet structure 11. It will be under.- stood, however, that thecabinet may be mounted in any part of the kitchen or in any other room,and the cabinet may extend from the floor to the ceiling or through anyintermediate portion of the room. The cabinet is also applicable toother rooms such as work shops, factories, stores, and a variety ofother types of the drive chain 27 can be adjusted independently of theadjustment of the drive shaft 20.

The shelves may be of any suitable shape or construction. I prefer toemploy shelves of the shape indicated, with the corners beveled tofacilitate the movement vide each bucket with an enlarged opening 36adapted to receive one of the studs 37 carried by the chains 16 and 17.Above the enlarged portion 36 is a narrowportion 38.which confines theheaded lug 37 in position I It will be understood that the shelf 15, asshown more clearly in Fig. 8, is provided on each side 1 on the bucket.

with the enlarged opening 36 and the restricted narrow opening 28thereabove, and that the restricted portion of the lug 37 is receivedwithin the narrow neck portion 38,

the lug being carried by the chain 17, as illutsrated in detail in Fig.8. The shelf 15 may, if desired, be pro-' vided with inwardly-extendingflanges 39 adapted to receive trays 40 thereon.

.The elevator chains 16 and 17 are preferably supported f at their upperends so that there is no continuous shaft' extending through thecabinet. In the illustration given,

the chain 16 engages the upper sprocket 41, while thechain 17 engagesthe upper sprocket 4-2. Each of the sprockets is held in rotatableposition by a stud 43 which is carried by a plate 44 secured to thecasing A. The stud extends through the hub of the sprocket and ispreferably provided at its inner end with a slip-ring 45 forconfiningthe sprocket upon the hub. A similar shpring 46 rnay be employed for thesecuring of the shaft 20 within the recess provided by the member 21.

An important problem in the development of the elevator shelfstructure'liesin the maintenance of each shelf against tipping, since tippingcouldbefatal to the operation of a shelf device in which articles ofvarious types and sizes are stored. To prevent tippingof' the shelf asit passesupwardly al'ong'channel 13 and then is moved downwardly throughchannel 14, P provide a multiple guide member 47 having'a horizontallower edge 48 engageable with the horizontal flange 35 of each shelf tomaintain the shelf in a horizontal position asit is transfered betweenthe channels at the upperpart of the case; Asshown more clearly in Figs.2 and 3, a-member 47 issecured by spot-welding or other meansto anelongated bar-49 which-is'guided between straps 50 and 51 and a coilspring 52 extends between alug 53' fixed to casing A and a pin-54-carried by the lower end of bar 49. By this means, the flange or shoe48-bears tightly against the flange35 of each shelf so as to stabilizethe shelf as it movesfrom' channel 13' to channel 14 or, vice versa, ifthe direction'of movement is reversed.

In order to prevent frictional engagement between each shelf 15 and thechain 16 or 17, Iprefer to indentthe-side walls of the shelf or bucket15 as shown best in'Fig-S. It Will be noted that the portion of thebucket bearing the slots 36 and 38 lies in a. plane outwardly of theplane of the depending side walls so that a quiet operation of theelevator shelf mechanism is brought about.

To reinforce the metal casing A, vertical reinforcing straps 55 may besecured to the side walls of casing A by means of spot-welding 56, or byother means, Thecasing A is provided along its front side withinwardlyturned vertical flanges 57 which may be provided with liningstrips 58 engageable with the front edges of the shelves 15 to maintainthem against outward tipping. A- similar wear strip 59 may be providedalong the rearside' of the casing A.

Operation In theoperation of the structure, the-shelves 15 may beinserted in position upon the lugs 37 of the chains. 16 and 17 so thatthey are supported in the position illustrated. best in Figs. 2 and 4.With the structure shown, the shelves 15 may be detached or secured inposition, using the keyhole slot structures 36 and 38 illustrated. Withthe shelves in position, articles may be placed with in. the shelves andthe motor. 30 started for operation in.

along the channels, they are stabihzed along their. rear side byengagement with the wear strip 59 in channel. 14 and the centralpartition strip 12, while in the travel through channel 13, the shelvesIS-are maintained against tipping by the wear strips 58 along the frontflange 57 of casing A and by the central partition strip 12.. The motormay be stopped at any point to bring a selected shelf into alignment inany convenient position for easy access with the open front side'ofcasing A so as to permit. the removal of articles or the addition ofarticles- As' above stated, the shelves may be removed andv replacedasdesired.

Should conveyor chains 16 and 17 wear and become loose, tightening canbe elfected by loosening the. screws 22 and lowering the levers 21 andthen tightening the screws within the slots 24- of the strips 21'. Onthe other hand, if the drive chain 27 should require tightening orloosening independently of the chains 16 and 17, this may be readilyaccomplished by loosening screws 32 and shifting the motor mounting 31to bring about such tightening or loosening.

The shelf and case structure: may be utilized in many differentarrangementsandemployed. at. any height in a workshop, kitchen, etc.With the structure shown, shelves may be extended downwardly alongcorners in a room or near the bottom of a room where access isdifficult, or the shelves may'be' extended substantially to the ceilingof a high room structure; thus enabling; space to be utilized which istoday not practical, the motor-driven structure permitting articles tobe conveyed rapidly from distant points to an open access area locatedat a convenient height.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set. forth a specificstructure in'consid'erable detail for the purpose of illustratingtheinvention, such. details of structure may be varied widely bythoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I. claim:

1. In an elevator shelf. structure, a generally rectangular casingcomprising a closed compartment except for an access opening in thevertically-extending front, spaced endlessconveyors mounted therein forvertical movement and adjacent a pair of opposite side walls ofsaidcompartment, a plurality ofequally spaced studs on said conveyors,shelves releasably carried bysaid studs between said conveyors, each ofsaid shelves having a generally horizontally-disposed base andvertically upstanding side walls parallel to the casing side walls, eachshelf side wall being equipped with an integral, laterally-extending,inclined shoulder adjacent to but spaced from the top thereof, saidshoulder extending across the side wall parallel to said base and, ineffect, providing a sloping step in said side wall, with the upper sidewall portion lying outwardly of the lower side wall portion, akeyhole-shaped slot in each side wall receiving a chain stud,, therestricted portion of said slot being located in said upper side wallportion and. the remaining portion of' the slot being located in thesaid inclined shoulder, means. for driving said conveyors, and means formaintaining, said shelves in level, horizontal plane during use.

2. In an elevator shelf structure, a casing providing a compartment,spaced sprockets supported in said compartment near the top thereof,spaced sprockets carried by a; driven shaft extending through the lowerportion of said compartment, chains carried by said sprockets andprovided with inwardly-extending studs, and a plurality of shelvesreleasably supported upon the studs of said chains, each of said shelveshaving a generally horizontally disposed base and vertically upstandingside walls, each side wall adjacent to but spaced from the top thereofbeing equipped with an outwardly and upwardly-inclined shoulderextending across the width of said side wall. parallel to said base, avertically elongated opening in each side wall located in both the saidshoulder and the portion of said side wall immediately thereabove, saidstuds being received within the side wall openings.

References Cited in' the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,030,741 Bodine Feb. 11, 1936 2,442,070 Bouchard May 25, 1948 2,673,780Lyon Mar. 30, 1954 2,729,531 Andersen Jan. 3, 1956-

